1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to certain new and useful improvements in skateboards having an inline skate wheels and, more particularly, to an inline skateboard in which there is improved maneuverability and turning capability.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In most skateboards, front and rear wheel trucks are mounted on the underside of a platform supporting a rider capable of propelling the skateboard by leg motion. Front and rear wheel trucks are used for carrying casters or rollers and usually arranged in pairs on each of the front and rear trucks. Thus, the front wheels would be mounted on a single axle and the same holds true of the rear wheels.
Steering of a skateboard having tandemly arranged wheels on each of the trucks is difficult. Moreover, the front and rear wheels of conventional skateboards rarely are adapted for any turning movement about an axis either perpendicular to or angularly located with respect to, the skateboard and, thus, turning and steering of the skateboard becomes exceedingly difficult. Usually, the wheels or casters are of relatively small diameter, thus further complicating any efficiency in turning. There has been no prior art inline skateboard in which both the front wheels and the rear wheels each have a turning capability in order to enable turning movement of the skateboard.
In order to turn a skateboard, lateral forces are applied to the platform much in the nature of a snow ski. These lateral forces thereby cause the skateboard to rotate in an opposite direction. However, with tandem wheels, which are designed to simultaneously ride upon the ground surface, turning and, hence, the steering of the skateboard is further complicated. There has been proposed several inline skates in which the wheels are located in an inline arrangement. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,155 to Barachet provides a skateboard having two wheels in tandem with one at the front of the board and the other at the rear of the board.
Additional inline skateboard are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,331, dated Aug. 27, 1996, to Yun, et al, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,299 to Yun, et al, both for an inline skateboard. In addition, the Wang Pat. No. 5,566,956, dated Oct. 22, 1996, also discloses an inline skateboard. However, in Wang, both of the feet of the rider are positioned side-by-side on the platform of the skateboard. U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,570 to Bollotte also discloses a skateboard having singular inline wheels. In this case, a large number of wheels are mounted on a single truck in an inline arrangement on the underside of a platform.
These inline skateboards which have been taught in the prior art are effective and provide a greater efficiency in turning and maneuverability with a substantial length between front and rear wheel trucks on the skateboard. However, increased length of the skateboard also increases the required amount of experience to use the skateboard properly. In essence, the prior art skateboards which feature inline wheels do not overcome the problems of stability along with turning capability and maneuverability.
In each of the aforesaid prior art patents, each of the wheels are fixedly mounted with essentially no means for turning of the wheels. Any turning motion is achieved only by application of a lateral force to one side of the platform or the other. Thus, when a lateral force is applied to the left side of the platform, a right turning motion is effectuated and when a lateral force is applied to the right side of the platform, a left turning motion is effectuated. However, as indicated above, the necessary efficiency is not achieved with these prior art devices.
There has been one prior art device in which the skateboard has cut outs on the surface of the actual platform so as to permit the wheels to literally project above the surface of the platform. However, this is cumbersome and creates an inherent danger in the use of the device. There has also been a skateboard having a wheel arrangement such that the rider must weight the rear of the skateboard in order to lift up the front of the skateboard and thereby allow turning movement. Here again, this is cumbersome and difficult to use and further creates an inherent risk of injury in the use of the skateboard.
There has been a need for an inline skateboard in which stability is provided, along with increased maneuverability and turning capability. Specifically, there has been a need for a skateboard which permits turning movement by weighting the skateboard much in the same manner as the weighting of a surfboard. Thus, there is a need for a skateboard having a platform with wheels which will steer both in the front of the skateboard and in the rear of the skateboard, but which nevertheless can be controlled to prevent free steering movement of the skateboard.
It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide an inline skateboard with increased maneuverability and turning capability and which also still affords a riding stability without substantially increasing the overall size of the skateboard platform.
It is a another object of the present invention to provide an inline skateboard of the type stated in which the wheels of the skateboard are capable of turning relative to the direction of movement of the skateboard in order to further aid in performing a turn on a skateboard.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an inline skateboard of the type stated in which a lateral application of a force to a skateboard to achieve a turning movement does not cause undue instability in the riding characteristics of the skateboard.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide an inline skateboard of the type stated which provides an increased riding enjoyment and excitement.
It is another salient object of the present invention to provide an inline skateboard of the type stated in which the wheels of the skateboard are displaced from the pivot axis of the trucks on which the wheels are mounted.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an inline skateboard of the type stated in which the wheels are uniquely designed to provide a turning capability in a manner similar to that provided by other two wheel vehicles, such as bicycles and motorcycles.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an inline skateboard having a wheel arrangement, such that the maneuverability of the skateboard mimics the action of maneuvering a surfboard.
With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts and components presently described and pointed out in the claims.
The present invention relates to a skateboard having a unique construction which affords a unique capability in turning and provides substantially increased maneuverability. In addition, unique wheels aid in these turning movements of the skateboard.
The skateboard of the invention comprises a platform for supporting a rider and which enables the skateboard to be propelled by leg motion of this rider. The length of the skateboard is not critical and can range from relatively short skateboards to long skateboards without otherwise compromising the increased maneuverability and turning capability.
In a preferred embodiment, a front wheel truck is secured to an underside of the platform and has a front wheel movable about a front pivot axis passing through the platform. This front pivot axis is at an angle displaced angularly from a vertical pivot axis. An actual point of contact of the front wheel with a ground surface is displaced rearwardly of an imaginary point of contact which would result if the pivot axis were vertically arranged. A rear wheel truck is secured to an underside of the platform and has a rear wheel movable about a rear pivot axis passing through the platform at an angle. This angle is also displaced from a vertical pivot axis. The actual point of contact of the rear wheel with a ground surface is also displaced forwardly from an imaginary point of contact which would result with a vertical pivot axis.
In another embodiment of the invention, the axis of rotation of the front wheel with respect the front wheel truck is displaced rearwardly from the front pivot axis. In like manner, the axis of rotation of the rear wheel truck is displaced forwardly from the rear pivot axis.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a pivot restraining means is also connected to shafts which provide the pivotal movement of the trucks carrying the individual wheels. Further, an adjustable control means is connected to the pivot restraining means for selectively controlling the amount of pivotal movement provided through these pivot shafts. Various types of pivot control restraining means are shown in the present invention.
In a more preferred embodiment, the axis of rotation of the front wheel is displaced rearwardly from the front truck pivot axis by a distance equal to the distance between the axis of an axle holding the front wheel, that is the axis of rotation of the front wheel, to the central axis of the front pivot shaft and the axis of rotation of the rear wheel is displaced forwardly from the rear truck pivot axis by a distance equal to the distance between the axis of an axle holding the rear wheel, that is the axis of rotation of the rear wheel, to the central axis of the rear pivot shaft.
In still another preferred embodiment, the angle of displacement of the rear pivot axis from a vertical pivot axis is the same as the angle of displacement of the front pivot axis from a vertical pivot axis.
It has been found in connection with the present invention that wheels which are allowed to turn relative to the direction of movement of the platform are highly desirable. However, these wheels must have a certain resistance which tends to maintain the wheels in a straight line. The restraining means of the present invention accomplishes this result. By adjusting the restraining means, it is possible to accommodate the skateboard to the capability of and the weight of a particular user. The wheels of the skateboard are not allowed to turn about a steering pivot axis freely much in the same manner as a motorcycle. Rather, some force is required to overcome the resistance against the steering pivoting movement of the wheels. In this way, the rider effectively forces the wheels to turn in the direction of movement of the skateboard. In addition, by dampening the wheels, vibration in turning movement is reduced.
This invention possesses many other advantages and has other purposes which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of the forms in which it may be embodied. These forms are shown in the drawings forming a part of and accompanying the present specification. They will now be described in detail for purposes of illustrating the general principles of the invention. However, it is to be understood that the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings are not to be taken in a limiting sense.